West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-08-05

90 not DeileNe Iidt Tue pcopic oiC
ready to abandon the fundamental
principles of the Government estab-
lished by our fathers. The Herald
we'll represents that fanaticism
which is, to-day, its greatest danger;
and that danger is the greater be-
cause fanatics are always men off in
tense feeling, and are often men of
marked ability. Mirabeau, Danton,
Robespierre and the other leaders
in the French Revolution were all OF
them men of singular ability. The
conservative element in France MS
overpowered. If the conservative
element with us surrenders as it did
in France then the Government we
have is gone, and the rule of Might
will take the place of the rule of
Right
The issue is in 4 nutshell. Level
headed men do not want Govern
ment which will NEEDLE with the
private conduct of an individual
citizen, unless he invades the rights
of others. The fanatics, on the other
hand, desire Government which
will deal with the citizen precisely
as parent deals with his child.
The fanatics desire a Government
that will compel every man to live
up to any standard of morals which
majority may establish. Here,
then, we have two distinct, and very
different systems of Government;
one is the Government based on the
proposition which Locke, Jefferson
and Mills declared to be the corner
stone of personal liberty; it is the
Government established by our faith
ers; it is the Government which mas
made this happy land of free peo-
pie. On the other side, we have the
alternative of new Government
based on the idea that the individ
ual has no rights which majority
are bound to respect. 1t is to be a
Government based on the idea that
personal liberty depends on the ca
prices of popular excitement. The
fanatics of the French Revolution
established a Government which
acted on precisely this proposition,
and that Government abolished
Christianity and enthroned q paint
ed strumpet in the holy temple of
God, and the people were compelled
to worship her. We have little hope
that this reference to the French
Revolution will induce the Prohibit
tion leaders to reflect on the value of
personal liberty; but in every county
this paper will be read by thought
full men, and our effort is to rouse
them to the Importance of checking
that restless spirit of fanaticism now
running riot in this State. To-day
it undertakes to prevent drinking,
but if not checked will presently take
up some new hobby and forbid the
use of tobacco, or command us to
adopt a particular religious creed.
Fanaticism was never known to halt
unless checked by the conservative
forces of society.
These fanatics propose to use the
powers of Government to prevent
men from drinking; they propose
law which is not necessary to pre-
vent one man from infringing the
rights of another man; they propose
to prohibit the manufacture and
sale of intoxicants because they de-
sire to control the private habits of
those who do not agree with them.
The distiller does not invade the
rights of his neighbor. There is
nothing which the neighbor may do
when the distillery is idle which he
cannot do when the distillery is in
operation. These Prohibitionists
are not concerned about their own
conduct; it is the conduct of other
people that troubles them. They
have an itching desire to be master,
and to regulate the habits of other
people. They have an itching to
exercise over their neighbors the
same parental discipline that they
exercise over their own children.
This is exactly what VIC object to.
/ want you to let me alone unless l
interfere with you. If my drinking
interfered with your rights, then the
Government could restrain me; but
if my drinking does not diminish
your rights, then the Government
has no authority to forbid me. 1t